Mainstream Mondays: Revlon Cabana Queen and Coast is Clear

Hi errbody! It's that time of the week again. Time flies by so fast, doesn't it? Well today I have two Revlon polishes for ya, Cabana Queen and Coast is Clear.

These two polishes are from the Revlon Haute Tropics 2013 collection. It has been available for sometime now, like a few weeks ago. I bought these polishes a while back and it has been sitting in my untried pile since then. So now I decided to bust them out for this week's Mainstream Mondays' post.

Photo credit: Steph's Closet

Looking back, I now wonder why I didn't purchase the other blues in this collection, knowing my love of blues. Oh well. Anyway! Let's get right to it!

First up: Cabana Queen.

Sorry for the crappy watermark, I've been experimenting with a new watermarking app .

Cabana Queen is a very light gray with opalescent microshimmer throughout. The shimmer makes it so that it is not your average grey creme. Application was like a crelly, felt more like a jelly to me but more opaque. I used four, yes FOUR, coats for this bad girl, plus top coat. Not that it needed it, but I just like to finish swatches off with top coat.

And here is Coast is Clear.

I need to trim my nails!

Coast is Clear is a minty green, I guess you could say seafoam since we seem to be going with a summer theme here. Like Cabana Queen, this one has an opalescent microshimmer throughout. It's a little less brighter, more green than turquoise in person. I like this color but again, I used four coats plus top coat, though it didn't really need a top coat for shine.

Thoughts? I have conflicting feelings about these polishes. While I like the color, the amount of coats it took me to cover up bald spots is turning me off. I've tried waiting for each coat to dry completely before applying the next coat but it still leaves bald spots. It's also a bit runny, and will tend to pool in your cuticles if you get too close. It's a shame because the colors are pretty.

Would I recommend these polishes? Yes and no. If you're okay with the amount of coats that it takes to cover up bald spots, then go for it. Personally, I don't mind the number of coats but if you do then I suggest skipping it and finding a color similar to it.

That's it for today's post! I hope you'll join me again next time. :)

*I bought these polishes with my own money. Revlon can be found in most retail stores and drugstores. These were bought at Walgreens for $4.99 each.*

*Disclaimer: Due to variations in screen displays and resolutions, polishes may appear different to each reader. I try my best to capture colors as accurately as I can, and if I can't, then I try to describe the color/s to the best of my ability.*

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: Watermarble

Hi everyone! I have a new theme going on for the blog! It's called On Wednesdays We Wear Pink, and I'm going to use pink polishes to either swatch or do nail art with. I think you all know the reference ;) and if you don't, well, you're missing out! Haha. It's from the movie Mean Girls, which is one of the most quotable movies, hands down. If I remember correctly, this quote was said by Karen (Amanda Syfried.) 

Anyway, I decided to take another stab at watermarbling for the inaugural post of OWWWP. Either I'm brave or just stupid, not really sure, haha. For those of you that don't know what watermarbling is, it's a technique where you put some water in a small bowl, place some drops of polishes til they form a bulls-eye effect, then use a toothpick or any thin stick to drag the polishes and form shapes. You then dip your finger (painted with a base, preferably white to make the colors pop) into a portion with the design you like, then drag the remaining polish away from your finger, lift your finger and ta-dah! You should have apretty little design on your finger. It all sounds so easy at first until you actually start doing it! You can search for tutorials on YouTube, and they all make it look so easy! It all takes practice and patience, and soon you'll get the hang of it.

For this watermarble attempt, I used Julep Joy (a dusty pinkish mauve,) Orly Two-Hour Lunch (crelly bubblegum pink) and Revlon ColorStay Rich Raspberry (purplish magenta creme.)

I can't really do a full flower pattern, so I only get about halfway around the circle. I did the pattern by dragging from the outermost circle to the center. You can achieve different designs by dragging the polish in different directions.

I tape around my fingers to minimize the mess. I still have to do cleanup around the cuticles and the skin around the sides, though.

And the finished product:

I'm pretty satisfied with the way this turned out. I still managed to have tiny air bubbles, but for the most part, it looks decent enough. This is probably my most successful watermarble to date!

Here are more pics, just because I want to showcase them in different hand poses :P

Watermarbling is trying at first, but once you get the hang of things, it's a really cool way to do your nails! While I may not be the expert in this technique, I do have some tips that I've learned from other people, and from my experience:

-Use filtered water. People have always stressed this, and it's true. There's just something about tap water that prevents the polishes from spreading well.
-Also, check the temperature of the water. If it's too cold, the polish won't spread. If it's too warm, it still won't work. It just has to be room temperature. You'll know it is if the polish spreads. Although, you should really:
-Test each polishes beforehand. One polish from a brand might spread well, while another polish from the same brand might not. So test your polishes individually to see if they work. Your water might be the right temperature, but if the polish won't spread no matter what you do, then choose another one to work with.
-Some people skip the tape around the fingers, but I find that it helps lessen the cleanup significantly.
-Be patient. Sometimes it won't work right the first time. Just be patient and don't get discouraged. You'll find what works and what doesn't; all you have to do is keep trying.

And that's all for the first On Wednesdays We Wear Pink post! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope you'll join me again next time! :)


*Disclaimer: Due to variations in screen displays and resolutions, polishes may appear different to each reader. I try my best to capture colors as accurately as I can, and if I can't, then I try to describe the color/s to the best of my ability.*